Confucian Philosophy of Gongfu lecture series will systematically introduce the profound implications of interpreting Confucian classics from Song-Ming Neo-Confucians’ gongfu perspective. Meanwhile, it will help students understand the constructive functions of Confucian philosophy in the context of contemporary world philosophy.

Professor Ni is the Executive Vice-Director of IAHS, Researcher at WEIB, a Tenured Professor at Grand Valley State University (U.S.A.), Member of the Expert Committee and Senior Advisor of the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute (DOCRI). He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the ACPA book series on Chinese and Comparative Philosophy (published through Global Scholarly Publications in New York). Professor Ni earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy at the University of Connecticut in 1991, and holds an M.A. of Philosophy (1982) and a B.A. of Modern Western Philosophy (1985) from Fudan University. He has taught in Trinity College, Montana State University and Grand Valley State University (GVSU). He was also a founding member and director of East Asia Studies Programme at GVSU, a visiting professor at the University of Hawaii and the University of Hong Kong, a founder and former president (1997-1999) of the Association of Chinese Philosophers in America (ACPA), former President of the Society of Asian and Comparative Philosophy (SACP), former President of West Michigan Association of Chinese-Americans and Principal of its Chinese Language School.（For more information on http://iahs.en.pku.edu.cn/organization/research/byyjry/）

Topics and Arrangements of the Lectures:

2 hours every week, 16 lectures of this semester.

Time

Topics

Lecture 1

Mar.16

Introducing Gongfu to Philosophy

Lecture 2

Mar. 23

Gongfu Interpretation and Confucianism

Lecture 3

Mar. 30

(I) 'Interact with Things' and Science:

Taking Traditional Chinese Medicine as an Example

(II) 'Interact with Things' and Ways of Conduct:

Taking Consepts of Causation as an Example

Lecture 4

Apr. 6

Gongfu and Ontology: Comparing Rorty's

and Mencius' Theories of Human Nature

Lecture 5

Apr. 13

Does Confucianism need Metaphysics?

Lecture 6

Apr. 20

'Interact with Things' and Spirituality:

The Theory of As-if-ism

Lecture 7

Apr. 27

Plantinga and Confucianism Spirituality

Lecture 8

May. 4

Confucian Self-cultivation and Personal Health

Lecture 9

May. 11

Interpreting The Zhongyong from the Gongfu Perspective

Lecture10

May. 18

Human Desires and Gongfu

Lecture11

May. 25

(I) Confucian Approach to Freedom

(II) Confucian Approach to Human Dignity

Lecture12

Jun. 1

The Way of Family and the Gongfu of Regulating the Family

Lecture13

Jun. 8

(I) Confucianism and Democracy

(II)Rule of Ritual and Rule of Law

Lecture14

Jun. 15

(I) Harmony in Diversity and Dialogue of Civilizations

(II) The Languages for Dialogue and the Confucian Rectification of Names